Article holding device



Sept. 19, 1967 M. YOULDEN ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 20, 1965 Mmlfimmn wnmufi nn mnmmnnwF immmm IfV'V/JQAW/ UR. GEORGETTE. M. YOULDEN BY s24 W U n w U U U/ U U I ATTOR'IUE Y w n Bison nlulifi D U U U United States Patent 3,342,343 ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE Georgette M. Youlden, 5950 NW. 110 Terrace, Hialeah, Fla. 33012 Filed Dec. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 514,884 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-88) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An article holding device particularly adapted for use in hanging relation over the edge of the side wall of a toilet tank including a vertically hanging strap and integral receptacle at the lower end of the strap in which said strap comprises a thin material and has a reversely bent hook end for engaging over the top edge of a toilet tank side Wall and has a relatively wide lower portion comprising the receptacle back wall which includes a horizontal floor integral width upstanding side and front walls in which the side and front walls have a plurality of openings defining a uniform pattern to accommodate air circulation through the receptacle, and in which said flooring has spaced apertured ears spanned by a loop element upon which a deodorant can be removably hung and in which at least one apertured lug extends from the receptacle front wall and has pivotally supported therein a ring element for removably receiving the handle of a brush.

This invention relates to a toilet tank supported article holding device and, more particularly, to an article holding device adapted to be supported so as to overlay the length of one side of a toilet tank and including side walls having a plurality of openings therein defining a harmonious pattern to accommodate air flow therethrough.

As is perhaps well known, in bathrooms it is desirable to have cleaning materials and it is quite often an unsightly collection of brushes, cleaners and the like which many homeowners prefer to keep in a relatively out-ofsight position. This invention provides an article holding device for attachment to the side wall of a toilet tank so that the cleaning materials may be kept in a relatively out-of-the-way position while at the same time being available for ready use.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an article holding device for cleaning materials to be supported along the side length of a toilet tank which includes a strap adapted to overlay the length of the toilet tank and a receptacle for the cleaning materials, the receptacle including a floor substantially a horizontal extension of the bottom of the tank and upstanding side walls of a length substantially one-half of the distance of the strap which side walls have a plurality of openings in a harmonious pattern to permit of air flow through the receptacle.

It is another object of this invention to provide an article holding device of the type described in the foregoing paragraph and including depending loops arranged to support a brush or a deodorant having hooked arms.

It is another object of this invention to provide an article holding device for cleaning materials to be supported from a toilet tank which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, sufliciently strong and durable for the purposes for which it is intended and is arranged and adapted to store the conventional cleaning materials used in a household toilet or washroom in a relatively out-ofthe-way position while at the same time being ready for prompt use.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the instant article holding device supported on the exterior surface of one side of a thin walled toilet tank;

FIGURE 2 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and look-' ing in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view looking at the front of the article holding device.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views and referring particularly to FIGURE 1, the numeral 11 generally designates a water tank with a front wall 12 and one of the opposing side walls 14 which, as seen in FIGURE 2, terminates in an upstanding free edge 16 around the mouth of the tank which is adapted to be closed by a lid 18 which includes a depending head 20 to loosely nestle in the mouth.

The article holding device, generally designated by the numeral 22 includes the strap 24 and the receptacle 26. Referring to the strap 24, it comprises a first length 28 having at one end a reversely bent or formed portion 30' defining a hooked end with a bight 32 between thedistal end of the hooked portion and the main length of the strap 28, and a somewhat wider lower portion 34 which, as indicated in FIGURE 3, is cotermjnous in width to that of the receptacle 26. Also, intermediate the first length of the strap 28 and a wider portion 34 a stepped edge may be provided to define a shoulder 36 and the intermediate wider portion 34. Extending laterally or horizontally from the end 40 of the strap is a floor 42; it is noted that the length of the strap 24 is such that the distance between the bight 16 of the hooked end and the opposite end 40 is substantially equal to the height of the side wall of the tank from the exterior surface of the floor 44 of the tank and the upper or lip edge of the side wall. The floor of the receptacle is bounded by upstanding and opposing side walls 48 and 50 and the front Wall 52 which are joined together along their marginal edges to one another and to the strap so as to define the article holding receptacle. Each of the front and sides of the receptacle is provided with a plurality of openings designated by the numeral 56 and arranged in a harmonious pattern to permit of air-flow through the article holding device. The side walls may be provided with depending ears 58 and 60 having openings therethrough to receive a supporting hanger 62 in spanning relation to the ears over which a deodorant 64 may be suspended by means of the hooked arms 66 and 66'. Also, the line of juncture and preferably extending from the front side or panel there are provided lugs 68 and 68' from which rings 70 and 70' are suspended and through which a brush such as that designated by the numeral 72 may be supported.

It is, thus, apparent that the device is adapted to be suspended so as to overlay the exterior wall of the side of a toilet tank and extend substantially over the length thereof with the receptacle extending from the floor 42 substantially one-half the height of the tank. There is thus provided an article holding device for various cans of cleaners such as 79 and other cleaning materials. Preferably, the article holding device is of one piece molded plastic material. The material may be of relatively thin construction for the reason that the hooked end is snugly held in position by the lid 18 of the tank and, by reason of its overlaying the side of the tank, it is reinforced and, so long as the material is strong in tension it will be able to carry the load of commonly encountered household cleaning materials and supported on the floor 42 of the receptacle. While it is preferable that the article holding C8 device be of one piece plastic material, it has been found that various other materials which are strong in tension will, when embodied in the structure taught herein, support the load of the materials which are commonly used.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. For attachment to a relatively thin walled upstanding side of a toilet tank so as to exteriorly overlay the height thereof, an article holding device of one-piece construction including a vertical hanging strap and an integral receptacle on one end of the strap, said strap being of thin material which is strong in tension and having a reversely bent one end defining a hook end with the bight of the hook being sized for hooked-up engagement over the top of the lip of the side wall of a toilet tank, said strap being of a predetermined length and adapted to support said receptacle near the bottom of a tank, said strap being wide along the other end to define a plane rectangular as is seen in plan and comprising a receptacle back wall of a length substantially one-half the strap length, said receptacle including a horizontal floor integrally connected to the other end of said strap,

an upstanding front and side walls integrally connected together at their marginal edges and to the floor to define the receptacle, said walls having a plurality of openings therethrough defining a harmonious pattern to accommodate air-flow through the receptacle, first and second apertured ears depending from said receptacle floor in spaced relation, and a spanning loop supported on the ears for removably hanging a deodorant therefrom, and at least one apertured lug projecting from said receptacle and including a ring element pivotally mounted thereon for removably accommodating the handle of a brush therein.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said loop is pivotally supported on the ears of said receptacle floor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,034 3/1926 Butt 108-134 1,713,275 5/1929 Gibson 211-88 2,340,521 2/1944 Engert 2483 12. 2,487,301 11/1949 Borah 211-88 2,610,760 9/1952 Ball 220-23.4 3,007,177 11/1961 Jackson et al. 4-1 3,036,717 5/1962 Johnson 2ll88 3,047,185 7/1962 Lewis 220-18 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR ATTACHMENT TO A RELATIVELY THIN WALLED UPSTANDIN SIDE OF A TOILET TANK SO AS TO EXTERIORLY OVERLAY THE HEIGHT THEREOF, AN ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE OF ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING A VERTICAL HANGING STRAP AND AN INTEGRAL RECEPTACLE ON ONE END OF THE STRAP, SAID STRAP BEING OF THIN MATERIAL WHICH IS STRONG IN TENSION AND HAVING A REVERSELY BENT ONE END DEFINING A HOOK END WITH THE BIGHT OF THE HOOK BEING SIZED FOR HOOKED-UP ENGAGEMENT OVER THE TOP OF THE LIP OF THE SIDE WALL OF A TOILET TANK, SAID STRAP BEING OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID RECEPTACLE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF A TANK, SAID STRAP BEING WIDE ALONG THE OTHER END TO DEFINE A PLANE RECTANGULAR AS IS SEEN IN PLAN AND COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE BACK WALL OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY ONE-HALF THE STRAP LENGTH, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL FLOOR INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID STRAP, AN UPSTANDING FRONT AND SIDE WALLS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER AT THEIR MARGINAL EDGES AND TO THE FLOOR TO DEFINE THE RECEPTACLE, SAID WALLS HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THERETHROUGH DEFINING A HARMONIOUS PATTERN TO ACCOMMODATE AIR-FLOW THROUGH THE RECEPTACLE, FIRST AND SECOND APERTURED EARS DEPENDING FROM SAID RECEPTACLE FLOOR IN SPACED RELATION, AND A SPANNING LOOP SUPPORTED ON THE EARS FOR REMOVABLY HANGING A DEODORANT THEREFROM, AND AT LEAST ONE APERTURED LUG PROJECTING FROM SAID RECEPTACLE AND INCLUDING A RING ELEMENT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREON FOR REMOVABLY ACCOMODATING THE HANDLE OF A BRUSH THEREIN. 